War of Storybrooke
by LilSebastian7
Summary: Regina gathers an army of unruly citizens in Storybrooke to take down Snow once and for all. Some mild violence and language...
1. Chapter 1

"Emma Swan!" Regina's harsh voice woke Emma, who was resting on the couch in her apartment. "Emma Swan, you open this door right now! I need to speak to you and your... mother." Regina pounded on the door, nearly knocking it off its hinges.

Emma slowly got up from the couch and retrieved her gun. "_Hide_," she mouthed to Snow and Henry, who had creeped around the corner. Charming came next to Emma, his sword drawn. They gave each other a knowing nod. _Father and daughter, ready to fight the Evil Queen at a moments notice._ Emma opened the door far enough only so Regina's red face could be seen.

"Ah, Ms. Swan. Good morning," Regina said spitefully with a wicked grin. "MAy I come in?"

"No you may not." Charming said, opening the door more so both he and Emma could see Regina fully. Regina grinned wider at the sight of him.

"Well, I wish to speak to Snow." Regina laughed then, and touched her temple as if just remembering something. "Oh, silly me. Forget the pleasantries! Bring Snow out here now, so that I may properly kill her. Then I will leave with my son, in peace."

"So much confidence from a weak, out-numbered woman, Regina." Emma said, glaring at the witch.

"Here's the thing, Ms. Swan," Her smile faded then, replaced by a look of pure malice. She flicked her wrist and Charming and Emma flew on to the floor. With another flick, the two heroes were thrown into two chairs and restrained by sheets from the large bed nearby. Emma's gun and Charming's sword were twisted into small balls of metal in a matter of seconds. "My power has increased _astronomically _over the past few weeks. And about the 'out-numbered' thing? Well, I'm not anymore. As a matter of fact, I have a rather huge army waiting for Snow's head on a platter."

"An army?" Emma asked incredulously, her eyebrow arching up. She was already trying to wriggle herself free from her bonds.

"Preposterous. You are despised in this town, Regina!" Charming cried, fighting against the restraints.

"True. But not nearly as despised as your precious wife. You see, given enough evidence, a fair number of people from this town are willing to admit that Snow White isn't as innocent and perfect as she seems."

"Like who?" Charming asked, his face turning beet red with anger.

"Well, the majority are peasant folk you probably never took the time to know-"

"Oh, like you did?" Emma interrupted with a scoff. Regina continued without a pause.

"And Hook, of course. His dear friend Smee, which I happily turned back into a human after that unfortunate rat incident. Your dear father, King George," Regina grinned viciously at Charming as he surged forward in his chair.

"Well, that is _quite _the army, Regina." Charming said sarcastically, finally giving in to his bonds and sitting peacefully.

"Oh, you didn't let me finish!" Emma could see that the Evil Queen was enjoying herself immensly. "We have the ever-so-sweet Princess Abigail," Regina did a faux curtsey, smirking at Charming. A look of sorrow crossed Charming's face then, to Emma's confusion. "Oh, silly me. Emma darling knows her by 'Kathryn Nolan'."

"Kathryn? Why would she ever-" Emma started, befuddled by this revelation.

"We have my trusty Magic Mirror, Sidney. Sneezy, Sleepy and Bashful of the Seven Dwarves. The Woodcutter and his dear daughter Gretel, although sadly I have no clue where the boy is. Cinderella, too! She is a surprisngly good fighter, by the way." Regina says all of this with a smile, and says it like a joke. "Tiny has joined are ranks as well, and who else? Oh, I remember! Archie."

The name sent shivers down Emma's spine. "No..." Was all she managed to say before Snow stepped out from the shadows, her bow held high.

"Lying does nothing but harm, Regina!" Snow says harshly, her arrow ready to be let loose on the Queen.

"Oh its not a lie deary. Even the sweetest men can be manipulated." Regina inched closer to Snow, who was shaking slightly. "Surprisingly, I didn't even have to use the slightest pinch of magic on him! He listened to all the evidence I presented, and eagerly joined my cause."

"And what 'evidence' was that, Regina?" Emma says, jerking her arms from the sheet bondage and falling to the floor. Before she can stand fully, Regina forces her to the floor again by a burst of magic.

Snow let the arrow loose, and Regina responds by waving her arm in front of her, leaving a shimmering trail in its wake. When the arrow hit the shimmering barrier, it dissolved into dirt on the floor. With a flick of her wrist, the barrier vanishes. Regina charges toward Snow, but is caught off guard by a random arrow suddenly being lodged into her shoulder. Regina falls to the floor, shocked and grimacing in pain as she yanks the arrow out of her shoulder. Standing in the open doorway is Granny, her crossbow already loaded again.

Emma grabs a frying pan, and tosses another one to Charming who has now freed himself. The two charge toward Regina, who is standing now, blood pouring out of her shoulder. Another barrier is put up quickly, and Emma and Charming bounce off of it as Regina holds up her hand, and closes her fingers in the air. Two feet away, Snow is lifted off the ground and reaches at her throat where an invisible hand chokes her. Regina grins again as panic floods Snows pristine features.

Granny fires again as Henry steps out from behind Snow. Snow's face starts to turn blue, and Henry begins to cry, but Regina only laughs at the ceiling. Emma sits up, just in time to see Granny's arrow find its target: Regina's stomach. Regina looses her invisible grip on Snow and clutches the arrow in her abdomen. With a grunt she pulls the arrow out and drops it on the floor. With a look of bewilderment, Granny loads another arrow.

Emma watches in horror as Granny takes aim again, Henry cradles Snow's head in his arms, and Regina draws back her blood-soaked hand. Emma grabs the frying pan again, but the battle is over. With a shriek, Regina vanishes in a cloud of purple smoke. Emma drops the frying pan and rushes to meet Snow. She still has a pulse, but its faint.

"I'll take her to bed," Charming mutters as he lifts her body up and towards the bed.

"Red, go get Dr. Whale." Granny says to the newly-arrived Red.

"I can't. He's...um... With Regina." Red says quietly.

"Well get the damn first-aid kit, then!" Granny snaps, and Red runs off. Granny sighs and turns to face Emma, who sits with her head in her hands. Emma looks up slightly to see Granny scowling. "Well this is a mess, isn't it?" Granny says with finality, dumping her crossbow on the counter and putting a pot on the kettle.


	2. Chapter 2

Emma, Granny, Red, Charming and Henry all sat in a small circle around Snow, who was resting comfortably in the bed. The group all held steaming cups of tea, while Henry had juice. Snow had started to wake up in the bed while voices on the street below began to pick up. The voices were chanting something unidentifiable, but they certainly sounded angry.

"What is that?" Henry asked, looking towards the window. The young boy looked worried, but his eyes displayed courage.

"That," Granny said tartly while jerking the curtains shut. "Is Regina's army. Right now they are more of an annoyance than an army, but an army nonetheless."

There was an awkward silence after that, aside from the occasional sip of tea. The chants got louder, and occasionally a random object would be thrown at the building. Suddenly, Emma was struck with a terrifying idea.

"What happens if this mob tries to bust in here? And why haven't they tried already?" Emma asked, already readying herself to fight.

"They have tried, but they haven't gotten in yet because we have the entrance barricaded. Neal, August, Geppetto and the dwarves that are still on our side are guarding the door. Also, the Blue Fairy was kind enough to put some type of protection spells around the entire building. We'll be safe for awhile."

"Wait, how-"

"We have an inside spy on Regina's side. Jefferson, the Hatter. He overheard Regina's plan to form her army and finally kill Snow weeks ago. Everyone that remains loyal to you and your family have been preparing for this battle for awhile." Granny explained, cutting Emma off.

"And why weren't _we _informed of this?" Charming asked harshly, squeezing Snow's hand hard enough to cause her to jerk her head.

"There was no need to worry you yet." Granny replied nonchalantly, placing her cup on the counter.

"No need to worry us? My wife could've died! My whole family could've died!" Charming shouted, rising from his seat. Snow grunted and started to wake at the commotion.

"David, please. All we need to worry about now is our next move." Red said calmly, placing her hand on Charming's shoulder. This did seem to calm him down significantly.

"Exactly. What _are_ we going to do next?" Emma asked, primarily to Granny.

"Well, once this mob leaves we are going usher you all to the library where Belle has lodging set up for us all. That will be our main headquarters." Granny replied, cleaning up the tea with Henry's help.

"Speaking of Belle, what side is Rumple on?" Charming asked, helping a groggy Snow sit up.

"Right now Rumple is neutral. Actually his whereabouts are unknown." Red replied.

"Well, that's not necessarily a good thing," Emma said under her breath. "It would definitely be beneficial to have him be with us rather than against us."

"Well, there's nothing we can do about that right now." Granny grabbed her crossbow and peeked out the window. "The mob is starting to leave. Get ready to move."

Emma, Henry and Charming went and gathered the necessary belongings, bringing their overall haul to two backpacks and a small duffel bag. When the group came back into the main foyer they saw Snow standing and conversing quietly with Red.

"Red's just told me everything. Oh, David…" Snow said mournfully as she walked up to Charming and the two embraced. Suddenly the door burst open and Neal was there, breathing heavily.

"Well, we did have to fight off a few rowdy folks who managed to get past the spell, but the mob has moved on. Time to go." Neal said, between breaths. Henry quickly ran up to him and gave him a hug, which Neal returned happily. "I'm glad you're safe buddy." Neal said under his breath. He looked up slightly, making eye contact with Emma. "I'm glad you're _all _safe,"

"Well, time to go." Emma said hurriedly, flustered. She grabbed her backpack and walked towards the door followed by Henry. Charming, who held the other backpack and duffel bag, walked out behind them, hands entwined with Snow's. Neal followed, then Red, and finally Granny.

"You all took your sweet time." August said sarcastically when the group had arrived downstairs.

"Save it," Emma said with an eye roll, causing August to scoff. "Let's go." With that, Geppetto slowly opened the door.

August was the first out the door, leaping out on to the street, brandishing a sharpened table leg he had found. He did a swift scan of the area when a random townsperson with a wrench suddenly ran up to him and swung at him. August jumped to the left, avoiding the townspersons' wrench. August quickly swiped the table leg beneath the man's legs, knocking him to the ground. Finally, August brought the leg down on the man's head, knocking him unconscious. With another sweep, August waved Emma and the others on hurriedly. Emma hadn't realized what time it was, but it must be late since the sky was turning a deep purple.

To Emma's surprise, nobody else came to stop them on their journey to the library. In a matter of minutes, Emma and the rest of her group were standing outside the front doors. Belle opened the door without a second of hesitation and she rapidly ushered the aggregation into the warm foyer of the library. Once Geppetto was dragged inside, Belle shut the door harshly and the Blue Fairy ran up to begin casting a spell on the front entrance. Within moments of the door being shut, the sound of a war cry could be heard from outside.

"It's them." Belle whispered, terrified. "They're here." She shrunk back against a book shelf as Regina's ominous voice pounded throughout the library.

"You can't hide forever, White family! I will have my son, and I will have Snow's heart!" Regina cried. Her voice was amplified across the entire library, causing the people inside to cower and cover their ears. "My army waits outside. We strike at dawn!" The last thing Emma remembered was Regina's evil cackle before she passed out.


	3. Chapter 3

Well I had a lot of free time this weekend so I was able to get 2 chapters out of the way! Thanks to everyone who has read this little story so far, it really means a lot. Keep the reviews coming! Just let me know what you would like to see, or hints at what's coming next and I will happily reply. Thanks again -x

-RED-

"Ruby!" Belle's panicked cry woke Red from her cowering stupor. Red, and everyone else, was cringing in fear of Regina's hostile voice booming throughout the library. Red picked herself up, shook herself from the fear, and ran to Belle, who was crying in the far corner of the library.

"Ruby," Belle whimpered when Red reached her. "Ruby what was that?" Red wiped the tears out of Belle's eyes and helped her to stand.

"That was Regina. Tell me what you remember about her." Red said softly, reaching for a nearby chair for Belle to sit on.

"Not much really." Her forehead crinkled, deep in thought. "She's the Evil Queen. She… She locked me up! Held me prisoner!" Belle's face lit up at the sudden wave of memory, but then darkened again at the realization of how evil Regina was to her.

"Yes, exactly. She is here for Snow White. Do you remember Snow?" Red asked, softly pushing Belle into the chair.

"Yes of course. Snow, and her husband, Charming. So sweet, both of them…" Belle said, as if in a dream.

"Yes, very sweet. But Regina is here to kill Snow and Charming and everyone else." Belle looked at Red, horrified. "That's why we came here, and that's why we hid all those weapons here a few weeks ago." Belle nodded, understanding. "To protect the Charmings."

"And Emma. She's their daughter, right?" Belle said, pushing back a lock of her beautiful brown hair.

"Yes!" Red said, genuinely happy at her memory recovering so steadily. "Yes, and Henry is Emma's son. But Regina loves Henry too, just as much as Emma does. Sadly, Regina wants Henry, and she's willing to do terrible things to get him." Belle nodded in agreement. It was a few minutes before Belle spoke again.

"Rumple…" Belle whispered. Red's eyes widened in shock.

"What do you remember about him, Belle?"

"I just remembered…" Belle suddenly shook her head. "Its not important."

-AUGUST-

"Emma!" August and Neal both cried as Emma collapsed to the floor. Regina's announcement had only just ended seconds ago. Out of the corner of his eye, August saw Red run off to someone. _Was someone hurt?_ He wondered. But all he had time for now was Emma. Neal and Henry were already kneeling beside her.

"She's still breathing." Neal said, elevating her head up. "She just… passed out." Henry breathed a sigh of relief. Charming and Snow came over, frantic.

"Don't worry, she's fine. Just passed out. She'll be awake in a bit." August explained, calming them down. After more assurances of their daughter's safety, the two walked off to help gather weapons. At that moment, August heard the chanting from right outside.

"_Death to Snow! Death to Snow!_" The crowd repeated, sounding more aggressive each time.

"Can you, uh, handle her?" August asked Neal awkwardly. Neal, who was still kneeling on the floor, looked up to reply.

"Yeah. Of course I can." He replied. The two men looked at each other for a moment, sizing each other up. Grinding his teeth, August finally followed after the Charmings to gather weapons.

-GRANNY-

"Well, that was a bit extreme," Granny mumbled after Regina finished her announcement. Granny saw Emma collapse, and Belle having a breakdown in the corner, but she knew what she had to do. She grabbed the large bundle of keys that were resting on the desk and ran to the back of the library. There, behind a huge portrait of a dragon, was the weapons vault she had installed last week.

Moving the portrait aside, she unlocked the vault and gazed at the collection inside. Axes, bows, arrows, swords, maces and clubs, even a gun. And of course, her own trusty crossbow.

"I could use some help over here!" Granny barked to no one in particular. A young boy ran up to her after a few seconds and she looked down at him skeptically. "Who are you?"

"I'm Hansel. How can I help?" He replied strongly. His eyes were red, probably from crying, but he looked brave.

"You can help by getting out of the way, please. You are much too young to be handling such weapons." Granny said sweetly. Hansel scowled, but wandered off. Shortly after, Charming and Snow appeared. "Let's sort these, and then we can hand them out to our troops." Snow frowned slightly at the word 'troops', but did as she was told. August eventually joined the sorting also, and after about 5 minutes, everything was organized.

Granny walked to the front of the library and cleared her throat so that everyone knew to give her their attention. "Listen up, everyone! We have our weapons all laid out and organized. We have a very meticulous system, so please don't just grab whichever you choose. Snow, Charming and August will be handing out the proper weapons." The congregation of people stayed where they were until Granny clapped her hands and said "Chop-chop!"

After about 20 minutes, everyone except for Red, Belle, Henry and Hansel had the proper weapons. "Why don't I get anything?" Henry asked, whining too much for Granny's liking.

"Because you will be staying here, in safety, with Red and Belle and Hansel." Charming said kindly, putting his hand on Henry's shoulder.

"I never agreed to that." Charming and Henry turned to look at Belle. "I want to fight." Charming and Snow gave each other a worried glance.

"I don't know if that's the best thing for you right now, Belle." Snow said softly, but Belle abruptly put her hand up.

"I want to fight. Now either give me a weapon or I'll go out there throwing books." Belle crossed her arms, not giving in.

"Fine," Granny grabbed an extra sword and tossed it to her. She caught it effortlessly, and grinned. Once again Henry tried to argue for a weapon, but Charming refused indefinitely.

With their army fully equipped, the group sat in silence and waited for dawn to come.

-REGINA-

Chuckling to herself, Regina collapsed on to a throne she had forced some townspeople to carry. _Finally,_ she thought, _Finally, I will have it all. The death of the Charmings, my son, and my kingdom. _The throne began to float in the air and with a _POOF_, her pantsuit was replaced by a gloomy, black dress and a wicked spiked crown appeared on her head. _I will destroy Snow White looking my absolute best, of course_, she thought with a devious smile. Her army chanted and cried from down below her, waving their swords and spears and torches in the air as they did so.

"My loyal army!" Regina shouted, causing everyone to look up at her. "Only a few hours remain until our first and _final_ battle with the Charmings!" The crowd cheered and hollered wildly. "We will end Snow White's reign of tyranny once and for all!" The crowd shrieked even louder then before, and Regina cackled at her approaching victory.

"Oy! Regina!" Hook shouted, cupping his hand to his mouth. Regina turned and saw Hook leaning against a light pole with Smee right beside him. She floated down to him, pleased that no one else heard his outburst.

"What do you want, Captain?" Regina said, her patience wearing thin. Hook smiled as if this were a game.

"I'm only wondering, why don't we attack them now? Just bust in from a back entrance or something and kill them all while they're unprepared?"

"Because, that is not how you fight a war. Since you are nothing but a filthy pirate, you wouldn't know what it means to fight for your honor in a proper battle." Regina said viciously. Smee winced, fearing the worst.

"Old beliefs, Regina…" Hook was still smiling from ear to ear.

"Yes, indeed. In our old world, this is how we fought our wars, and that is how we will fight it now. If you have a problem with that-"

"Regina! This is not our old world!" Hook stood straight now, and his smile vanished. "They fight differently here. No matter how hard you try, this world will never really be our old one. We might as well get used to that now. Let's start by fighting as they do here!"

"No. No, you are wrong. Storybrooke will be my kingdom after tonight, and it will be just like our old land was." Regina said fiercely, her hands balling into fists.

"Fine. Have it your way. But this will be your downfall. You may still be trapped in the old times, but I am not." With that, Hook stormed off. But before he could get far, Regina grabbed his hook and pulled him to face her.

"Listen to me, Killian Jones. If you go in there and perform a surprise attack, you will _not_ harm Henry. Do you hear me?" Regina said, holding the hook up to his throat.

"I understand perfectly, my Queen." With a wink, Hook pulled free from her grip and walked off, adjusting his hook as he did so. Smee ran after him, and when they reached the back entrance to the library, Hook withdrew a sword from his sheath on his belt and Smee withdrew a wicked-looking dagger. With one final nod to Regina, Hook bust down the door and walked into the library.


	4. Chapter 4

Emma woke with a start. She was lying on the dank, library floor with Neal and Henry by her side. Neal scampered over to her when she raised her head and Henry let out a shriek of joy. "Mom!" Henry cried and wrapped his arms around her neck. She awkwardly patted his back, flustered.

"What happened?" Neal asked softly once Henry had backed away. Emma kept her hand intertwined with Henry's as she sat up to face Neal. Her head was throbbing, but otherwise she was all right.

"I honestly don't know. I heard Regina's threat, and then blackness. That's it." Neal nodded, his face grim. "How long was I out?" She looked around and noticed Charming and August handing out various weapons to a line of people. The library was dark, lit only by a few candles. Granny and Snow were assigning sleeping areas to those who already had their weapons. Emma frowned as she noticed how few their numbers were.

"Long enough for Granny to amass an armory," Neal said with a chuckle. He stood up quickly and helped pull Emma to her feet. She brushed herself off and helped Henry up. Suddenly there was a blood-curdling shriek from the back of the library. Emma instinctively threw her arms in front of Henry while Neal did the same to Emma.

Granny equipped herself with her crossbow, and Snow with her bow, and the two ran to the shriek. Emma ran after them, realizing too late she had no weapons. Charming also charged after them, while Ruby and August began lining up the rest of the troops to fight. Emma and her group reached the back room of the library, where the door that led to the street was wide open.

On the floor was Belle, her face streaked with tears and her left hand clutching her right shoulder. She was grimacing in pain, and even in the dark of the room, Emma could see blood soaking her hand. Snow rushed to her, throwing her bow to the floor. Granny stepped over Snow and firmly shut the door. "We need to get the Fairy down here to enchant this again," she muttered.

"Its-" Belle croaked, panting. It clearly pained her to speak. Snow was wiping Belle's eyes with one hand and pressing her other to the wound. "Its Hook!" She gasped. Emma turned towards the way she came and swiped her hand along the wall to find the light switch. She found it after a few seconds and flipped it on without hesitation. The light illuminated the room, and Hook immediately hopped out from behind a bookshelf and lunged at Snow.

Charming deflected the attack with his sword, hook and sword clashing. Emma jumped at Hook, but missed her target when Charming tossed him to the wall. Granny let loose an arrow and it landed directly in Hook's abdomen. Hook winced, but charged at Granny, who calmly readied another arrow. Hook's jagged hook collided with Granny's crossbow-wielding arm, and her weapon flew to the floor. As she reached to grab it, Hook stabbed the hook directly into Granny's chest. She screamed as Charming slashed his sword down on Hook's back. A tear appeared in his coat, and he turned to face Charming, unsheathing his dagger as he did so.

Smee appeared then, dagger in hand, and burst at Emma. She grabbed a book off the floor and raised it as a shield. The dagger lodged itself into the book, and Emma shoved the book back at Smee, who had lost his footing. Smee landed with a thud on his back, and Emma swiftly kicked him in the face, causing his nose to crack and bleed. After his arms fell limp to his sides Emma pulled the dagger out of the book and she moved to attack Hook.

Before she could reach him, Hook pushed Charming and Emma out of the way and ran out the door further into the library. Snow grabbed her bow and rapidly let loose several arrows, one hitting the wall and the other crashed into his right shoulder. Hook stumbled briefly but continued to charge out into the main foyer. Emma and Charming raced after him, while Snow stayed behind to nurse Granny and Belle.

As Hook ran down the aisles of bookshelves, he grabbed and pulled piles of books, even entire shelves down to falter Emma and Charming, who were closing in. After a few more moments of scrambling between bookshelves, the captain reached the main foyer, where the remaining troops stood holding their weapons high. Hook spun in circles, looking as frenzied as a puppy locked in a crate, but saw only armed troops ready to attack every way he looked. Finally he stopped turning and stopped in front of Charming and Emma with a smile.

"You got me." He said slyly with a wink. He put his hands up in surrender, when suddenly a terrifying scream rocked the library. Emma and Charming looked towards the back room where the scream had come from and Red ran off to see what caused the scream.

Emma walked Slowly to Hook, who had put his arms down. Emma put the tip of the dagger against his scruffy throat and threatened: "I swear, if she's dead…" Hook's grin widened and his eyebrow arched quizzically. Charming walked up with a rope that August had supplied and Emma lowered the dagger. Charming put the rope around Hook and tied his arms to his body roughly, then threw him to the floor.

Once the other people started to calm down, Red stormed out from the back room. Her eyes were red and her mascara was smeared. Her hands, mouth, and chest were covered in crimson blood. "She's dead!" Red shrieked. Charming leaped in between her and Hook, who had begun to chuckle. "That monster killed Granny!" Red cried, pointing her bloodied finger at Hook. The surrounding people gasped, a few began to cry. Emma glared at Hook and lurched him to his feet. Red tried to push past Charming, but he wouldn't move. "Please," Red whispered, pleading. Charming nodded and moved aside. Emma moved away from Hook as Red walked up to stand immediately in front of him. For the first time in weeks, Hook genuinely looked scared.

"This is Smee's blood." Red whispered forcefully, staring at Hook with ferocity that Emma had never seen before. "You're next," Hook winced, and Red snapped her mouth viciously. Her nails suddenly transformed into claws, and she ran her jagged index finger across his cheek, leaving a faint scar. She snapped her hand away, and her claws reverted back to their human form. With a wink, and the threat of Hook's death in the air, Red left the foyer, silently crying over the loss of Granny.


	5. Chapter 5

Emma ran from the building, pulling Henry to her side seconds before a large chunk of roof crushed him. Her arm was burning, and a cut above her left eye was bleeding profusely. Henry was basically being dragged by Emma now, and a final explosion knocked them both to the ground. Emma threw her sword on the ground and stood up shakily with a grimace. She took a quick glance at her arms and hands and saw they were bruised and bleeding everywhere. Emma didn't have time to worry about her own injuries, and instead dragged Henry to his feet and pulled him along again.

Emma thought quickly of her friends, worried for their lives. She only saw Neal and Snow get out ahead of her. _Was everyone else dead?_ She wondered, horrified. She shook her head at the thought, and continued to run towards to the woods.

45 MINUTES EARLIER

Red and Snow remained hidden in the back room with the body of Granny. Emma had Henry cradled in her arms, him whimpering softly. Emma felt a sore bitterness throughout her entire being. Granny was always a rock, one thing that could always be counted upon. Now, she was gone.

At that thought, Hook struggled against his bonds again in the corner. Charming smacked him on the back of the head to quiet him. The chanting from outside got louder and louder, and Emma noticed that the sky was gradually getting lighter. The safe fortress that was the library would soon be nothing but a battle field.

"August," Emma whispered as August walked by. He crouched beside her. "August, we need to get ready for the fight. They said they would attack at daybreak." The two of them looked towards the window. "It's nearly time." He nodded and stood up, going to gather the troops.

"Everyone! Please, if I could have your attention." August announced, standing on top of the desk. The congregation turned to face him. "I know that this is a difficult time. But we need to prepare now for Regina's army to attack." He stepped down and the group slowly got to their feet, including Emma and Henry.

After 15 minutes, the sky had gotten considerably lighter, the crowd outside louder, and the group inside armed and ready. Suddenly, the building shook violently. A roar erupted outside, followed by another quake. Glass shattered somewhere and books flew off their shelves. Henry and Hansel were being ushered towards the mysterious elevator in the back of the library by Geppetto.

Another tremor rocked the building when the Mad Hatter and his daughter came running up to Emma from the back. "What are you doing here? How did you get here?" Charming asked, alarmed.

"I was spying on Regina's army for you, you're welcome, by the way." The Hatter said with a grin. His daughter was wrapped around his waist, quivering slightly. "Your wife let us in through the back door." He glanced at Emma, as if to say 'I saw the body and I apologize.' "I was told there would be a place for Grace to be hidden." The Hatter patted his daughter's back when he said this. The Blue Fairy appeared and led the way to the elevator.

One final shake of the building, this one the most powerful, nearly knocked the fighters to their feet, but they managed to stand their ground. Emma, Charming, the Hatter, August, Neal, Belle and the dwarves all stood in front of the main entrance, weapons held high. With a crack, the ceiling began to cave in. A large hole formed in the ceiling, and Emma looked up to see Tiny grimacing down on them. He screamed, and the fighters were forced to cover their ears. A battle cry erupted from outside, and the barricaded doors were suddenly being bashed down. After only a few hits, the door began to snap and break.

Tiny brought his fists down again on the roof, and dust rained down on them. Snow and Red ran in from the back room, looking panicked. Red's fingers were transfroming into claws and Snow aimed her bow up at the giant. With another pounding from Tiny, the children, Geppetto and the Blue Fairy hustled into the main foyer also.

"Get back to the elevator! That's the only safe place for you!" Charming shouted at Geppetto.

"It's not safe. Regina must've cursed it." The Blue Fairy cried desperately. Charming groaned, but turned to face the doors again. Villagers had begun to force their heads and arms in through holes in the doors. Another pounding on the roof caused chunks to fall down on the group, but nothing fatal. Hook struggled in vain again, still unable to escape. Emma could see terror in his eyes, but felt no remorse for him.

Finally, the doors broke fully and a wave of villagers charged into the foyer. Charming, Emma, Neal and August rushed forward, swords held high. Arrows flew past Emma's head and swords clashed with frightening clangs. The Blue Fairy cast several random spells, not causing much damage. Tiny reached his hand down through a hole and began to smack at the Charmings' army. The Hatter tossed his shabby top hat and it struck Tiny's arm with such a blunt force that he had to withdraw his arm. In a rage, Tiny thrashed at the ceiling a final time, causing huge amounts of ceiling to collapse, nearly crushing the Blue Fairy and the children.

August let out a cry when a dagger jabbed into his arm, and he replied with a slash to the persons' abdomen. Emma stabbed into a woman's stomach as an arrow whizzed past her head and into the shoulder of a nearby man. Charming was chopping people left and right, and Neal had drawn back to directly guard Henry and the other kids. Suddenly, a molotov cocktail came flying over their heads and landed directly behind the desk. "Get down!" Emma shouted, too late.

The explosion didn't do much except light the desk on fire. But soon after the first, at least ten more crashed inside the library. Fires sprung up everywhere, and smoke began to cloak everything. Emma could tell this was pointless. As she turned to leave, a burning log fell from the ceiling and landed right in front of her, seperating her from the outside army. More and more flaming debris began to fall, faster and faster. Snow let loose one final arrow, somewhere in the crowd, and she ran off to the back door, followed by Neal. Emma thought she saw Grace and Hansel run behind Neal, but Emma couldn't be sure.

An explosion to her left kicked Emma into action. She ran to Henry, who had been knocked to the floor by a collapsed bookshelf. Emma pulled her son to his feet and ran with him to the back. Once they reached the back room, Emma saw that Henry was covered in blood and that she herself was bleeding from somewhere on her forehead. With alarm, Emma saw Granny's peaceful body laying by the open door. Tears began to cloud her eyes, and her throat closed involintarily. She couldn't let Henry stay in this place any longer. Emma didn't trust the outside for fear of Tiny or Regina herself, but she knew it was a better chance than this Hellish library.

With a final glance at Granny, Emma, who was holding Henry's hand tightly, ran out into the cool street.


	6. Chapter 6

After five minutes of frantic running, Emma and Henry reached a clearing in the woods where Snow, Neal, Hansel and Grace were resting. With a breath of relief, Snow ran to Emma and wrapped her in her arms. Emma hugged her back awkwardly while Neal hugged Henry. Hansel and Grace were sitting on a mossy log, both bleeding in several places. When Snow removed herself from Emma, Emma noticed a large burn on Snow's left arm and a jagged cut on the bridge of Neal's nose.

"Has anyone else come?" Emma asked, limping over to the log. Neal helped her sit down beside Hansel. It was chilly and foggy out, but the air was rank with smoke and Emma could still feel the heat from the fire all around her.

"Sadly, no." Immediately after Snow answered, Charming ran into the clearing, carrying the Blue Fairy over his shoulder. He laid her down gently on a bed of leaves, then ran to Snow. As the two embraced, Henry went to the Fairy and held her hand. Charming turned to face the fallen fairy and his grandson, who wore a grim expression on his scarred face.

"Is she..." Henry whispered, shaking slightly.

"No. Barely hanging on, but she's still alive." Charming said gravely as Snow knelt down beside them. Emma grimaced, not ready to lose another friend. Red and the Hatter ran in from behind the log after a few minutes. Following them was Grumpy, Dopey and Happy.

"Grumpy, where's Doc?" Snow asked, still on the floor with the Fairy. Grumpy frowned, grinding his teeth. Emma noticed, to her horror, that Dopey and Happy were silently crying.

"He's gone. Crushed by the stupid giant!" Grumpy cried, a single tear escaping. Snow gasped, covering her mouth. Emma winced, feeling her heart break. Fortunately, the Blue Fairy started to move slightly, showing the group that her health was fast recovering. For a few minutes, the group sat in silence, mourning Granny and Doc. The Hatter was holding on to Grace tightly, and Red was doing the same to Hansel.

"Wait," Emma muttered. The group looked at her quietly. "Where's the rest? Where's August and Geppetto? And Belle?" A soft crunch of a stick sounded in the clearing. They all turned in the direction of the noise, some arming themselves.

Surprisingly, Rumple appeared, his face stoic. Emma's mouth hung open and Charming stood, brandishing his sword. "Friend, or foe?" Charming asked.

"I pick no side in this foolish battle. I only came to see if Belle was safe. Is she?" Rumple said, worry crossing his face.

"We were just wondering that ourselves." Snow answered, covering the Blue Fairy.

"I've already spoken to Regina, and she swears that Belle isn't among her ranks." Rumple said, frowning.

"She was with us. But we haven't seen her since we fled the library." Emma said, genuinely worrying for Belle's safety.

"Fine." Rumple said, biting his lip. "I'm sorry for your losses." Rumple turned and left, leaving the group in stunned silence. Five minutes passed, and furious chanting could be heard in the distance. August appeared, his face blackened and his eyes red. Emma went to him and he collapsed in her arms, sobbing.

"Geppetto..." August mumbled into Emma's shoulder. She sighed, understanding. She held on to him tightly, wiping a tear from her eye. Once August collected himself, he sat on the log beside Red. Red patted his knee and gave him an apologetic, knowing smile.

Suddenly, a wicked cackle erupted all around them. The group jumped to their feet, ready to fight. "Not a very good hiding place, Snow White." Regina's voice boomed through-out the woods. Snow cringed, and aimed her bow at the sky.

Suddenly, black, crackling clouds reached down through the sky in multiple tendrils. The tendrils of smoke wrapped around everywhere but Snow, whipping them to the side, leaving Snow alone in the center of the clearing. Charming and Emma fought against their whispy restraints, but to no avail. Neal was sturggling so vigorously that the tendril had to bash him into the trunk of a nearby tree, knocking him unconcious. The children whimpered, and Red snarled.

Snow stood, brave, in the center, her bow held high. Regina floated down a few feet in front of Snow, grinning ferociously. She was standing on the same dark cloud that had wrapped around the others, and the cloud was floating a foot off the ground. Snow swallowed her fear, staring directly into Regina's eyes. Regina grinned viciously, raising her arms slowly. Snow drew back her arrow...

_It all seemed to go in slow motion, in Emma's eyes. If Emma would've been paying more attention to her surroundings, she would've seen her come from the woods. Emma could've done something, shouted a warning to her, something, ANYTHING! Emma could've stopped her death..._

Regina threw her arms down and hundreds of electrified tendrils went rushing towards Snow. Snow leapt to the right, avoiding the majority of the bolts. One bolt hit her in the right shoulder, leaving a dark, smoldering spot. Snow let out a small cry, and let loose an arrow, missing Regina by a wide margin. Regina floated to the ground and smacked Snow with the back of her hand, forcing her to the floor. While Snow was on the floor, Regina kicked her in the stomach, causing Snow to double over.

Charming thrashed against the tendril violently, causing it to shock him. "Mom! Stop!" Henry cried. Emma looked at Regina desperately, pulling against the restraints. Regina looked to Henry, grinned, then turned back to Snow. Snow stood shakily, and was forced to the ground again when a tendril wrapped around her ankle and yanked away. Regina looked up and giggled at the sky, when Snow suddenly grabbed an arrow out of the sheath on her back and stabbed it into Regina's foot. Warm blood immediately started spuritng out of the wound and Regina shrieked hideously.

Regina grabbed Snow around the neck and held her up. With a quick snap of the wrist, Regina threw Snow across the clearing. Snow didn't waste any time in standing up, aiming her bow directly at Regina's chest..._To the left, the same area that Emma and Henry appeared from, a twig is snapped. Someone is running into the clearing..._ Regina raises her arms, electric bolts flashing from the tips of her fingers. _The running person gets closer... _At the exact moment that Belle runs in to the clearing, Snow lets loose her arrow.

It all happens in slow motion: The arrow being released. Belle stopping, panicked, in the middle of Snow and Regina, not seeing the arrow headed directly for her. Regina lowering her arms slightly, surprised by this unexpected visitor. The arrow lodges itself into Belle's chest with a sickening _thwack_. Her blue eyes widen in horror, her mouth opens in a silent cry. _Silence._

"BELLE!" Rumple howled, running out from behind a tree. _He must not have left at all._ Emma thought, her brain unwilling to comprehend what she just witnessed. Belle slowly collapsed to the ground, her hands, now crimson with blood, wrapped around the arrow. Snow let out an ugly wail, and Regina snickered, floating into the air again. The tendrils began to slowly retreat from Emma and the rest, the unconcious Neal fell to the ground.

Rumple fell beside Belle, wrapping her up in his arms. He was sobbing, and by the limpness of her arms, she must've been dead. Emma, now released, didn't move an inch. Instead, she, along with everyone else, stood watching Rumple and Belle in stunned, aghast silence. Chaming ran to Snow, who had fallen to her knees. Charming helped her to her feet and carried her over to Emma. The group had now positioned themselves in a line on the outskirt of the clearing facing Rumple and Belle.

Henry hid his face in the crook of Emma's arm, and Snow was basically being held up by Charming. A few more minutes of stunned mourning passed, until Rumple gently laid Belle's body on the ground and stood, facing the group. His hands were balled into fists and his face was full of anger and sorrow. "I do not love many things. You all, especially the Charmings, know this. But you," Rumple pointed viciously at Snow, his hand shaking slightly. "You managd to kill the one person I love." Neal, who had just woken up, fidgeted slightly. "And for that you shall pay."

Dark storm clouds appeared in the sky, and the earth began to quiver slightly. Emma grabbed Henry and began to back away cautiously into the woods. Booming thunder erupted from the clouds, and lightning cracked inches away from where Rumple stood. The entire group back away, sensing Rumple's oncoming wrath. Charming had to pull Snow back, but not before Rumple shouted: "YOU SHALL PAY, SNOW WHITE!" With an agonizing scream, Rumple threw his hands in the air and a huge rush of electrified air and pure energy pulsated from him, nearly knocking them all to their feet.

The group turned away from Rumple completely and ran. His screams and the cracks of lightning were heard all around, but Emma and the rest kept running.


	7. Chapter 7

Well, this is the final chapter in this little saga. Thank you to everyone who read it and gave their feedback. I really appreciate all the support I got for this story! -x

The portal appeared suddenly and unexpectedly. The red-purple whirlpool erupted from the earth, throwing chunks of rock, dirt and small trees all around. Emma had to duck to avoid a small boulder from crashing into her temple. The group scattered and shrieked to avoid the debris. Once the portal stopped growing, Emma stepped up to the swirling edge of it and pointed a sword expectedly. On the other side of the portal, directly facing Emma, was Charming, who also had his sword held high. Neal and August also took up positions to the left and right of Emma. Red pushed the children behind her while the newly-healed Blue Fairy placed a force field around them.

After a few tense seconds, a cloaked figure lurched out of the whirlpool, landing roughly to Emma's immediate left. Emma brought the sword inches from the figure's neck. "Who are you?" Emma shouted, threateningly. Out of the corner of her eye, Emma saw two more figures hop out of the gateway. Charming and Neal approached the two others.

The figure pulled the hood away from their head, and immediately locks of onyx hair flowed down to their shoulders. The person looked up, and to Emma's surprise she recognized the figure instantly. "Mulan?" Emma asked with a gasp. Mulan nodded, her long hair blowing in the wind brought on by the portal. A final person jumped out, nearly knocking August over. The portal closed then, with a thunderous pop, and a crater is left in the earth as evidence.

Emma lifts Mulan to her feet as Charming, Neal, August and the new visitors walk over. Aurora, Lancelot, and an unknown, handsome man all walk with a flustered gait to Emma and Mulan. Aurora races to Emma and hugs her tightly, while Charming playfully pats Lancelot on the back. "How did you guys get here?" Neal asked, his brow furrowed seriously.

In the distance, probably 3 miles away, thunder and lightning roared, which signaled Rumple's location. A few others in the group cautiously meandered over to meet the new recruits. "Well, it's a long story," Aurora said, smiling, her arms still wrapped around Emma's waist.

"I'm Phillip. Nice to meet you," The handsome stranger said, holding out his hand to Emma with a smile. Emma shook it, realizing with relief that he was not a fearsome stranger, but instead a valiant prince. Aurora let go of Emma then, and went to kiss Phillip on the cheek. He blushed, acquiring a giggle from Aurora.

Emma, Charming, Neal, August, Mulan, Aurora, Phillip, Lancelot, the Blue Fairy and the rest of the group all circled up around a large stump a few feet from the crater. Henry wrapped himself up in Emma's arms while she patted his head. Aurora layed on Phillips's lap, while Hansel curled up to Red. Mulan sat straight, her hair now pulled into a braid, and began to recount their tale.

"Aurora and I traveled to a new world to rescue Phillip. I don't believe the world has any official name, but we called it the Spirit World. Once we got there, we fought many beasts and ghouls, but eventually we were able to rescue Phillip's soul. On our way out of the Spirit World, we saw Sir Lancelot and we took him with us.

"After our adventure in the Spirit World, we went back to the Enchanted Forest, and we planned on living our lives in peace there, hoping one day Snow White and Prince Charming would return to rule. But after a few quiet days, an old witch appeared and threatened to kill us. It really wasn't that big of a threat, but after we defeated her we found a pouch of fairy dust on her. Long story short, we used the pouch of dust to make a portal here." Mulan explained tersely.

"What's happening here? In this land? Do you all usually spend your evenings in the woods?" Aurora asked, squeezing Phillip's hand.

"No," Charming said with a chuckle. His face became serious. "Regina has gathered an army and forced the citizens to take sides."

"Take sides for what? What is the problem?" Lancelot asked, arching his eyebrows in curiosity.

"Snow. Regina has launched an attack on Snow and our entire family. Sadly, the majority of the town joined Regina's ranks." A boom of thunder interrupted Charming. "Including, more recently, Rumplestiltskin." Charming frowned.

"Even worse, while Regina grows stronger, our army weakens. We've already lost so many brave lives." The Blue Fairy said softly, squeezing Red's hand somberly. August coughed, wiping his eyes quickly. Neal scooted closer to Emma and Henry.

"Where is Snow?" Mulan asked, looking around.

"She's resting." The Hatter replied, nodding towards a group of trees where the group had decided to set up their sleeping shelter. Mulan nodded, approving. A few hours went on, and one by one people went to join Snow and rest.

Soon, only Emma, Charming, Henry (who has near sleep in Emma's lap), Mulan, Neal, the Hatter, Red and Lancelot remained awake. "We need to talk about..." Emma looked around and took a deep breath before finishing her thought. "We need to talk about our endgame." Red nodded silently, while Neal cleared his throat.

"I agree. I've only heard a few details about this aweful battle, but I can tell that we will lose this war if we don't plan something soon. You've already lost so many lives." Mulan said, seriously. The group nodded in sorrowful agreement.

"We need an escape." Neal whispered, not expecting anyone to hear. Everyone turned to him, surprised. "We need an escape." He said again, more confident. "Let's face it, we won't win. Sooner or later, Regina and Rumple will capture and kill most of us. Personally, I'd rather not die, or watch the rest of you die. So, we need an escape."

"I agree, that seems like our best option at this time." Mulan said.

"How would we do it? The barrier is still surrounding the town. None of us except Neal and Emma and Henry and August can leave." Red said, skeptical.

"A portal. To another land." Lancelot exclaimed, excitedly.

"How? We have no beans," Charming started, extending his arm to show the barren field.

"My hat." Everyone turned quickly to look at the Hatter, who was idly playing with his shabby top-hat. "My hat is a portal, as Emma knows."

"Does it have enough power, though?" Emma asked the Hatter, ignoring his jab.

"I'm afraid not. Perhaps the Blue Fairy could power it up." The Hatter replied.

"What am I 'powering up'?" The Blue Fairy asked, walking up quietly behind the Hatter with a smile.

"We plan on leaving Storybrooke as soon as possible in order to survive. Since none of us can pass the boundary, we need to go through a portal to another land, instead. We were hoping you would be kind enough to supply power to his hat so he can supply us with a portal." Charming explained.

"I see." The Blue Fairy nodded, her face unemotionless. "And you all agree with this plan?"

"No." Emma said suddenly. Charming turned to her, shocked. "Look, I don't want to take my child through some wormhole, and into an unknown realm!" Emma explained, wrapping Henry tighter in her arms. "And I- I can't go back into the Enchanted Forest. Not after all the ogres and-and zombies and..." Emma trailed off, remembering the terrors of the Forest.

"That's why we won't be going back to the Enchanted Forest. We'll go to a completely new realm." The Hatter replied nonchalantly.

"And which realm would that be, Jefferson?" Emma said spitefully, shaking slightly.

"That's not important. What's important is that we get out of here soon!" The Hatter shouted, standing. The group was shocked into silence. "We can't go to the Forest. That will be the first place Regina will think to look. Either we go to a new land, or we don't go at all."

A few seconds passed in silence, everyone trying to decide what to do. Finally, the Fairy spoke in a hushed voice. "I'm afraid it doesn't matter what you choose." Everyone looked at her quizzically. "My wand is at the library. I have no power without it. I can't power up that hat or send anyone anywhere withouht it." She said, frowning.

"At first light, we will go to the library and retrieve the wand. The Fairy will power up the hat and we will leave, hopefully without many more casualities." Mulan said forcefully, leaving no room for discussion.

One by one, the group dispersed to the sleeping area. Neal carried Henry, who was fast asleep. Emma passed the Hatter and the Blue Fairy, who were deep in hushed conversation. Emma laid beside Henry and Neal, and fell asleep before she could think any more about the next day.

The morning light crept through the trees and into Emma's eyes. She jolted up, realizing with a start that in just a few moments she would hopefully be in a new world. Emma stood up and saw that she was the last one up. The rest of the group had gathered by the large stump from last night, and they were all well-equipped with weapons.

Emma walked over to them and was handed a sword by Grumpy. Mulan made eye contact with Emma and then hopped on the stump. "Listen! We are going to the library to retrieve the Fairy's wand in order to be transported to a new land. Hopefully we will not meet too much resistance, but if we do you must be prepared to fight. Good luck to you all." Mulan jumped off the stump and lead the way out of the woods.

After about 10 minutes the army had reached the road directly across from the back entrance of the remains of the library. Only a few charred walls remained of the once-glorious library. They were only 5 feet away from their destination, but Rumple's thunder clouds were approaching from the right at an alarming pace. Rhythmic chants and shrieks followed the cloud.

"Go!" Mulan charged towards the library. Immediately, arrows and flaming debris were shot at her, which all missed their target. Aurora and Phillip ran after her and an arrow struck Phillip in the shoulder. Emma pushed Henry behind her and the two ran across the street, deflecting arrows with her sword. A large chunk of flaming rock flew threw the air and struck Dopey in the head, knocking him to the ground. Dr. Frankenstein ran forward and stabbed the unconcious Dopey in the abdomen with a vicious grunt.

Mulan and the others spread out in the library looking frantically for the wand. Snow hid on the opposite side of the street behind a group of trees and shot arrows at Regina's army. Emma looked and saw an arrow fly into Frankenstein's throat, killing him instantly. Cinderella, the Woodcutter, and King George rushed to the tree where Snow was hiding, but were intercepted by August and Red. August slashed at King George, who blocked with his shield.

Red slashed at Cinderella's face, leaving 3 deep, bloody scratches in the princess' face. Cinderella screamed and punched Red in the stomach. The Woodcutter lifted his ax and brought it down on Red's back, but Red dodged at the last second. Red ripped at the Woodcutter and sliced his throat, making him fall to the ground in a bloody heap. August and George were still lunging at each other until Snow let loose an arrow into George's leg, making him cripple to the ground. August kicked the elderly man to the floor and went to help Red. August pounced on Cinderella from the back and Red slammed her claws into Cinderella's stomach with a sickening _thwack _and crunch.

"Got it! I got it!" Grace cried, jumping and holding the slightly-shimmering wand in her hand. Her father, the Hatter, ran to her and hugged her tightly. While he kissed her on the head, he removed the wand from her hand and passed it over to the Blue Fairy.

"Where's Snow White?" Rumple's voice echoed throughout the library, causing Emma to shudder. Suddenly, Rumple appeared in the former foyer in a puff of purple smoke. His skin was glittering and golden, and his teeth were sharpened like needles. He held a wicked dagger in his hand, which he held like a throwing knife. "Well?" He said, annoyed. Mulan jumped at him with her sword, but he put his hand up and she bounced away, as if by a force field.

In a split second, Rumple threw the knife to his left without looking, and it landed in Hansel's chest with a resounding _thump_. Hansel gasped and crumpled to the floor when the dagger suddenly removed itself from his chest and flew back into the hand of Rumple. Rumple was grinning from ear to ear as Aurora knelt down beside the dying boy.

"I'm right here, Rumple." Snow said sternly, standing on top of a shaved-down bookshelf. She raised her bow and aimed it at Rumple, when a lightning bolt came from the sky and struck her down. Charming lept for her but was pushed back by the invisible field Rumple had thrown up. Regina floated down from the sky and stood beside Rumple, both smiling in triumph. They were going to kill Snow and all the rest could do was watch.

Regina sauntered over to Snow, who was clambering back to her feet. Regina brought her fist down on Snow's right temple, which Snow didn't have time to deflect. A bruise was already coming on as Snow jabbed at Regina's stomach. Regina coughed, having the wind knocked out of her, and brought a bolt of lightning down on Snow again.

"Mom!" Emma cried, tears welling up in her eyes. Henry hid behind Emma, whimpering. Charming stood and pounded at the air where the force field was. Snow continued to be electrocuted, while Regina laughed hysterically. Suddenly, Lancelot tossed his sword at Regina. The sword stuck itself in the barrier, frozen in air beside Regina's face. Lancelot charged at the hilt of sword and began wiggling frantically. Rumple shrieked, but it was too late. The force and speed of Lancelot's wiggling of the sword cause cracks to appear in the field. The cracks spread until the entire barrier was brought down, and Charming jumped forward to punch Regina.

Regina's nose started bleeding, but she shot a bolt of lightning at Charming who was hit. Emma ran at Rumple, who was preparing to toss the dagger again. Out of nowhere, Hook appeared in front of Emma and jumped on Rumple. Emma stopped in her tracks and watched as Hook and Rumple fought on the floor, throwing punches and kicking like schoolchildren.

"Now!" The Hatter cried, taking his newly-charged hat from the Fairy. He placed it on the floor in front of him and spun it clockwise. The hat had little momentum at first, but then began to spin faster and faster on its own. Within a few seconds, a large green-tinted portal appeared on the floor of the library, spinning wildly and sucking books and debris into it. "The portal!" He cried desperately.

Without a second of hesitation, Red jumped in, followed closely by Grumpy and Happy. Emma left Hook and Rumple and grabbed Henry. She knelt down to his level and grabbed his head in her hands. "Hold on to me. No matter what happens, hold on to me." Emma said hurriedly, then kissed Henry on the head. He nodded in understanding and took Emma's sweaty hand.

Emma stood and began to jog to the spinning whirlpool. "You know what to do." The Hatter said to the Blue Fairy. Emma didn't understand why, but the Fairy was crying.

"Are you sure, Jefferson?" The Blue Fairy asked, wiping her eyes. Grace was holding on tightly to the Hatter's leg. The Hatter nodded, gravely. The Blue Fairy took Grace by the hand and led her away and to the portal.

"Daddy! Are you coming?" Grace asked, worried. The Hatter ran to her and hugged her tightly.

"Of course sweetheart. Go. I'll be there soon." The Hatter said reassuringly with a sad smile. He kissed Grace deeply on the forehead, then let her go. The Blue Fairy and Grace jumped in at the same time, leaving without a trace.

"Jefferson," Emma said, going to the Hatter.

"Emma, go. Now!" The Hatter pushed Emma away. Emma looked and saw Lancelot, August and Mulan jump in.

The fighting was still going on, in vain. Regina was shocking Snow and Charming repeatedly while Rumple and Hook still thrashed on the floor. Hook slashed Rumple across the chest, leaving no marks due to Rumple's rough, magical skin. Rumple pushed Hook away and Hook fell backwards into the portal with a surprised scream.

Regina lept on top of Snow and scratched at Snow's face. Snow gathered all her strength and pushed Regina off of her, making Regina fly a few feet away. Charming pulled Snow to her feet and the two ran for the portal. Charming looked over and saw Emma, and mouthed the words '_go!_' Emma, still holding Henry's hand, took off for the portal. Neal ran up beside them, bleeding profusely from a cut on his forehead. Emma and Neal jumped in with Henry behind them and felt a cool rush.

Phillip lunged at Regina, who was flying straight for Snow. Phillip latched on to Regina's back and began to choke her. Regina stopped flying for the portal and placed her hands on Phillip's arms, then eltrocuted him. He screamed and let go, falling to the floor. Aurora ran up to him, and began to pull his body to the portal. Ragina cackled at the sight of poor Aurora dragging Phillip in vain. Charming ran to Aurora, who was already a foot away from the vortex. Aurora stepped back and Charming lifted Phillip up and threw him into the portal.

"Aurora, do it. Please." Snow said, quietly. Aurora shared a knowing glance with Snow, then began to push Charming towards the portal. Snow was standing face-to-face with Regina, unarmed.

"No! No! Snow, what are you doing?" Charming cried, so loud that Aurora's ears began to ring. Aurora fought to push Charming back, holding him away from Snow. Regina landed in front of Snow, a look of confusion on her face.

"David," Snow said calmly, a single tear rolling down her cheek. She turned to face Charming and Aurora. "You have to go. I have to stay here-"

"No!" Charming cried, nearly knocking Aurora over. The Hatter came over and helped restrain Charming. The portal was starting to slow down and shrink.

"Yes. It has to be like this. I am a bad person. I have to repent for what I've done. I love you, Charming." Snow said, peacefully. Rumple came to stand beside Regina, both grinning slightly.

"No! Snow!" Charming cried. With a final shove from Aurora and the Hatter, Charming fell into the portal, screaming the entire way. The portal disappeared, leaving scorch marks on the floor. The hat was all that remained, still spinning slightly. The Hatter snatched it off the ground and ran away, into the woods, out of sight.

Aurora stood straight, frowning in defiance. "What will you do to me?" She said strongly, clenching her fists. Snow closed her eyes. Rumple tossed his dagger, hitting its target, killing Aurora instantly.

"As for you, Ms. White." Regina said, inches away from Snow. With a booming cackle, Regina shocked Snow with a huge volt of electricity, knocking Snow out instantaneously.

Emma opened her eyes and saw the bright sun and trees above her. She heard birds chirping in the distance. She stood up, shakily, and saw the others around her. With a sinking feeling in her stomach, she noticed that Snow and Aurora were missing. Emma put her hand to her head, trying not to cry. She looked down, unable to look at the sun, and saw that she wasn't standing on normal ground. No, Emma was standing on bright yellow bricks. With a sigh, Emma looked up again and saw in the distance a huge, glowing, green city.


End file.
